If Life Is Going So Well, Why Do You Still Feel Broke?

America is amongst the wealthiest countries in the world, but still a lot of people feel poor. A lot of them keep falling behind financially and have no idea how to come back. A recent survey showed that 56% of Americans complained that their incomes aren't up to date with the cost of living.

It seems that 70% of the people who earn $30,000 per year are in extreme debt. Society might say that you think you're unhappy because we have high expectations. Exquisite coffee, new Iphones and expensive clothes are a must in this social media world. We can't withhold our desires as our previous generation did, so we tend to spend more than we earn.

The bad part is our previous generations had their income rising while now, we can't afford that luxury. A recent study showed that incomes are shrinking. The medium income in 2012 was $51,017 down from $55,627 in 2007. In 1999, Americans earned $56,080 which was the highest income of all time.

But there is a big difference that separates the wealthy from the poor and only the wealthy can profit from rising stock and real estate prices. The Federal Reserve announced a hit record of $81.5 trillion in June but noted that fewer people in the bottom half own stocks or contribute to retirement plans.

This means they will have a hard future, and something has to change. Maybe you think if this is the case, why isn't the U.S. in debt again since income is dropping. The thing is the debt percentage actually fell from its peak of 130% in 2007 to 107%. With sluggish steps, the economic setbacks contribute to the American sense of Unease. In a Pew Research Center survey, 58% stated that jobs are hard to find, and just 1 in 5 people expected better economic conditions within a year. The sad part is 45% said they had suffered enormous financial problems like layoffs, problems paying rent or loans, even problems paying for medical care.

Undoubtedly, a better economy with higher incomes for each and every person could ease the sense of hope. But to be on the safe side, here are a few things you can do to change your financial situation.

1. Do your best to save and invest for retirement. Of course, some of you might have been scared off by the stock market crash, but since 2009 the stock values doubled. If you want to live on your luxury yacht in the future, try investing in stocks.

2. Pay your debt. You have to pay all your credit cards, all your student loans or mortgages in order to really save for retirement. Don't go into new loans just because you need an iPhone and try your best to stay debt free.

3. Try to earn more. Most of you might wait for a raise, but economists say loyalty doesn't mean anything at this time. If you want more money, you should look for a better job. Also, there are a lot of online freelancing platforms that might help you make some extra cash.